Do you wave to strangers?
By sjohnson628
@sjohnson628 (3197)
United States
June 25, 2007 10:39am CST
I was on my way to the grocery store the other day and I have to travel about fifteen miles to the nearest grocery store. I took the back country roads instead of the highway. It was a beautiful day out and a lot of people were outside either walking or doing yard work. I found myself waving to every one that I saw. I then thought why am I waving at these people I don't even know them! But surprisingly enough they all waved back. The I also noticed 19 wheeled truck drivers coming at me were waving at me too. And I know I don't know them but I waved back thinking I didn't wave first LOL! That just proved a point to me that it is just not me who does this.
And I thought it's nice to be friendly and wave and smile at people I don't even know.
What about you? Do you catch yourself waving to strangers on the by ways? or Highways? Do you even realize you are doing it or is it something that just comes natural? I guess for me it's a little of both. First it comes naturally then I realize I am doing but don't stop. LOL!
7 people like this
38 responses
@gewcew23 (8007)
• United States
25 Jun 07
We live out in the country and everyone waves at everyone. I don't know half of the people but they wave anyways. I think it is very heart warming to know that there are still nice friendly folks out there. I live about 4 miles from a city and the people there are rude and hateful. Well not all of them I would say 90% of them are though. I guess it is just nice to see friendly people once in a while. I say enjoy it because now a days it is far and in between that you get this now.
2 people like this
@nirvana2007 (205)
• United States
25 Jun 07
Where I live now, (small town america) we don't wave at strangers. but where my mom lives (in the country) everyone waves at everyone else, myself included before I moved here on my own. I do miss the kindness of the country. here everyone seem not nearly as friendly, but after living here (or the neighboring town) for 5 years. It doesnt bother me very much. But I still wave when i go to moms
@PunkyMcPunk (1477)
• Canada
25 Jun 07
I like to wave at strangers or tip my head. Just some form of greeting, even a smile will do.
I live in the middle of the country so we all wave and smile and greet each other because although I may not directly know that person it is a very good chance that my dad or mom or grandparents know that person. Also they might even be related to me lol. Besides it is only a nice thing to do. I find myself being in a happier mood when this sort of thing happens to me. It reminds me that not all people are evil or bad or conniving or out to step on you.
1 person likes this
@sjohnson628 (3197)
• United States
25 Jun 07
I agree. I guess things are different in the smaller towns than the big cities from what I am getting out of other people's responses.
@yuanchang (474)
• Philippines
25 Jun 07
i only wave at kids though. when i see a cute kid staring at me i wave at him/her. when i see kids i cannot help but greet them with a smile or wave at them even though i do not know them.
2 people like this
@Illinois_shy_girl (123)
• United States
26 Jun 07
I live in the country and I all the time have people wave to me. The yare my neighbors but we all live at least a mile apart. I don't ever see them,spend time with them, in fact I have never had a real conversation with them in the five years i have lived here and yet they wave. I always wave back because it's polite right? ON the rural roads I find the same thing people I don't really know just know of wave at me. I grew up in a bigger city so It was strange to me at first but It's just normal now. Where I live the town is so small that everyone thinks they know everyone so they wave to everyone because.... they think they know everyone.
1 person likes this
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
26 Jun 07
well, i don't really wave often to strangers... but i do it once in a while depending on my mood... when i am in a happy mood, then i will wave even to strangers...
1 person likes this
@meljessxena (2315)
• Australia
26 Jun 07
i wave all the time to strangers, but usually when im driving, and they go past and i just give them a wave. i dont think theres anything wrong with it. i like to be known (since we live such a small town) that im nice etc lol.
99% of the time i have no idea who goes past even thou we live middle no where but i still wave and usualyl they wave back. so makes your day :)
1 person likes this
@japboy (572)
• Malaysia
26 Jun 07
i don't always wave to strangers but i always smile at them when i accidentally see them at the public.I also wave to the japanese girl that came to my old high school when they were visiting for exchange culture of both country.The girls are so cute and i can't stop waving at them and they wave me back with a cute smile.
@paradise12 (938)
• India
26 Jun 07
Well once i did waved to a group of boys who were sitting in a bus at the back side and i was walking on the road...They did first and i waved then back and it came naturally,when i realised it i was feeling embarrsed about it....Then from that day onwards i am careful not to wave without knowing......
1 person likes this
@amyann16 (414)
• United States
26 Jun 07
Where are you from? The reason I ask is that I live in Iowa, and when I first moved here, I couldn't believe the number of people that would wave to me as I drove down the road, sat in my front yard, etc! When my husband would be driving (he is originally from Iowa) and would wave to someone, I would always ask him, "Who was that" and inevitably, his answer would always be: "I don't know". It is crazy how many waves you get just driving to the grocery store! When my aunt (from New Hampshire) came out for my wedding, she said her in laws (also from New Hampshire) had visited Iowa in recent years and they specifically told her to pay attention to how friendly everyone was because they always waved!! Too funny!
Funny thing is, now I am one of the "wavers"!
1 person likes this
@sreeraj_9 (67)
• India
26 Jun 07
hi ,
be confident and be carefull to strangers ... and we should not get problems by our own.
1 person likes this
@sreeraj_9 (67)
• India
26 Jun 07
hi
waving to strangers is not a problem ... but taking risk is a problem... if we are in safe zone in travelling or in a passing away we can wave and i feel it is happy if i got a good response.. and feeling that i was not alone..
1 person likes this
@jzerbini (97)
• United States
26 Jun 07
I'm not surprised at all, I live in the country and if I am out along the road and someone drives past I usually just wave. I'm not sure why I think when you are out in the country its not as common to see many many people driving past. We may average a handful of cars past my house in a day, so you either know them or they know someone around you.
@stella1989 (2274)
• India
26 Jun 07
WOW... that was so sweet and so kind of yours..!!
Its good.
I do wave to starngers but only in a reply I never make the first move by myself...!!
Its just I don't feel easy.
But here in my country waving is not in trend instead of that we say "namastey" by bowing down or by joining hands.
I say that every old people but again not to starngers..!!
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
26 Jun 07
Oh that's interesting! No I don't wave to people unless they wave at me first. It would be strange lol. I do smile at strangers sometimes though. :P
@maybel13 (205)
• Philippines
26 Jun 07
I never do it especially if i don't know the person. I'm not saying i'm not friendly at all but I think it's awkward to wave to a total straner.
Maybe I have done it in my life, to wave into someone whom I thought I know but later on discovered that I don't but it was an honest mistake though.
